UFO Reports from Around the World

This information was obtained by Mr Dale Goudie, Director of Puget Sound Aerial Phenomena Research and Information Director for the UFO Reporting and Information Service in Seattle, Washington.

The broad details of this case have long been known. This is the case in which Dr. J. Allen Hynek, at the time a consultant to the U.S. Air Force, issued his quickly condemned opinion that the lights seen could have been swamp gas.

New additional information about the famed 1966 Swamp Gas case in Michigan surfaced in 1984 shedding new light on this incident.

The material consists of a news release issued at the time by William E. Van Horn, the Civil Defense Director for Hillsdale County, Michigan. It contains a hitherto unknown laboratory report covering the scientific analysis of soil, water and animal life in the area of the reported landing. For those unfamiliar with the case, here are excepts from a statement made at the time by Mr. Van Horn:

On the evening of March 21,1966 at 10:32 p.m., a call was received from the New Woman's Dormitory at Hillsdale College by the Office Of Civil Defense... from a student reporting that some type of craft had descended from the Northeast, flashed by their dormitory and disappeared to the South. At this time, the girl described as well as later, the observing of red, green and white pulsating lights. There were 17 of the college students that made this observation.

At approximately 11 p.m., a second call was made by the girl to the Civil Defense Office informing them that the object had reappeared and had settled close to the ground approximately one half mile from the dormitory. Van Horn at once called for help from the Police Department and three cars plus himself were sent in a two mile area from the dormitory to the East. Van Horn checked the area at the half mile point and after he was unable to locate anything. He at once returned to the dormitory.

Upon arriving at the dormitory, he was escorted to the second floor and taken to a room facing the east, from where he made the following observation. He observed that there was an object which was at an approximate distance of 1,500 to 1,700 feet away from them... settled into a hollow and was apparently either near or on the ground. The two lights upon his first observation were what he would describe as a dim orange on the right and a dirty white on the left. After observing this for a period of about 10 minutes the lights began to grow in brilliance, the dim orange became red and true in color and the white became a true white. As the lights became more brilliant, the object or vehicle began to rise.

It would rise to a height of approximately 100 to 150 feet, stop momentarily and began to descend. This occurred several times. At one time upon descending, a glow from the side opposite them came from somewhere and he was able to see a convexed surface.

The vehicle was also observed to move right to left, and left to right, and did so in a very smooth manner. The acsent and descent were at an estimated rate of 25 to 30 feet per minute. (This was estimated from Van Horns' experience as a commercial pilot.) At no time were any of the witnesses able to detect any type of sound or noise.

At approximately 4:30 a.m., those still observing the scene noticed the lights disappear and this was the last that was seen of it.

The area that this was observed in was by no means a swamp but rather an area which is cultivated by Hillsdale College as a park.

Goudie also states that there will be additional information up coming and will be released in a short time by the UFO Reporting and Information Service in Seattle. This new information will even bring us closer to the reality of this case and keep this in mind that this case was investigated very carefully.

Lab Results Of 1966 "Swamp Gas" Case

NOTE : The Report gives the detailed results of tests done on the soil, plants, water, and animals in the vicinity of the UFO landing site. I shall only be showing the conclusions reached by the Laboratory. For the full report enquire at CUFON (Computer UFO Network), P.O.Box 832, Mercer Island, WA 98040, USA.

CONCLUSIONS


1. SOIL:
The soil had above normal radiation and also had abnormal content of Boron.

2. PLANT:
The plants had above normal radiation. Blue pigments did not show up in the tests and were presumed to be destroyed, but this did not seem to effect the life junctions of the plants.

3. POND LIFE:
Crustacean and Amphibian radiation was higher than normal but the highest radiation was recorded in the Amphibian. Also the Amphibian was affected noiceably where the Crustacean was not.

4. MINERAL:
Sedimentary rocks were slightly higher in radiation than either igneous or metamorphic rocks. There was no other change either chemical or structural.

5. WATER:
All microscopic plants and animals were dead. The water had above normal radiation and abnormally contained Boron.

6. ENVIRONMENT:
The environment had above normal radiation and it contained a small amount of Boron which is foreign to this soil.

7. MAIN CONCLUSION:
The area contained an abnormally high amount of radiation from some unknown source. The area also strangely contained Boron which was found in both water and soil. These two facts are the only ones which would substantiate the presence of a UFO. In our opinion, we're not saying that there was a UFO, but we also do not know how to account for these two facts. However, we believe it could not be swamp gas because of the high winds on the night of the sighting. With these high winds the gas would not have formed a mass and remained stationary. We also do not believe it was pranksters because we searched the area thoroughly for any sign of evidence to explain the phenomenon.

NOTE: Radioactive decay took place at 0.6 milliroentgens per hour over a period of three hours.

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